Vexii
The Vexii are a race of humanoids who long ago inhabited the Shrouded Continent. As far as anyone knows, their civilisation was the first on Coryphiel. They were renowned for their use of their unique memory magic, and for being excellent craftsmen. A catastrophe destroyed their empire 10,000 years ago, and almost rendered them extinct. A few Vexii survived by entering stasis. Appearance and Physiology The Vexii are human, though they differ from Known World humans in a number of ways. For one, they are significantly taller. Vexii males have an average height of 2.3 metres (7ft 6in), and females have an average height of 2 metres (6ft 6in) Vexii have dark skin and dark hair. They are tall and elegant, with bright eyes in shades of blue and green.. Vexii are also known to have heightened psychic sensitivity, mental resistance, and aptitude for psychic magic. Vexii Civilisation The main civilisation of the vexii is referred to simply as "The Vexii Empire", however there were multiple splinter factions. One of these was a group of pirates who made their home in the Storm Isles, who were referred to as the Black Corsairs. Another was a group who resided in the mysterious Marshes of Time, and were affected by the strange nature of that place, they were called The Timeless. Determining the locations and expanse of any of these empires is difficult due to the shifting nature of the Shrouded Continent. Culture and Traditions The Vexii had a strange culture that mostly revolved around the inconsistency of their continent, and the deposits of Star-Metal that were common across the continent. Memories and Echoes The Vexii had an obsession with keeping memories. One of their oldest legends states that they used to have an even greater empire, until it was destroyed by the ancient adversary. When it was destroyed, they lost a lot of advanced technology and magic. Thus, they now ensure that the memories of their people are kept safe. The Vexii used Memory Stones extensively, small pebbles of Star-Metal with runic inscriptions that allow memories to be stored. It doesn't have to be Star-Metal, but this seems the most effective. The Vexii used these personally to store treasured or important memories, and also to keep records. They would often teach children and apprentices by having them directly experience such memories. After a Vexii died, their memories would be ritually extracted from them and stored. The Vexii kept memories in large archive buildings, filled with tablets of memories. For most people, the sheer weight of memories and psychic magic in these rooms would give them a migraine, but for the psychically adept Vexii, they were able to navigate these memories with ease. The Vexii also used Echo Stones, to contain a creature's memories and contain a holographic echo of that creature. This was often done for the honoured dead, to ensure that a remnant of them remained. Additionally, they were able to empower these echoes, often using the echoes of warriors to guard important locations. They could also be used for decorative purposes, or for theatrical performances. An actor could act out a scene, and have their echo replay that scene night after night. They could use such stones to capture many other things, including music, magical energy, and some say they could trap a creature's consciousness. Travel Travelling the Shrouded Continent would always be difficult due to its inconsistent nature. Most Vexii households kept a Compass, a magical item that would always point towards a certain location, even if it moved, meaning they could always make their way back home. If they needed to travel between major locations, they would usually use the Gate network, a network of teleportation circles that would allow a creature to travel through other realms. Every generation also had a Living Map, a Vexii inscribed with magical tattoos that map out the Vexii empire, and change to match the geography. Entertainment Vexii liked their entertainments, and had them in many forms. They built several fighting arenas, and enjoyed watching capable warriors fight each other, though these fights would rarely result in any deaths. They also liked theatre, and would use echo stones to recreate performances without the actors having to continually recreate a scene. This would also allow them to create shows that were very difficult to act out in real life. The Mind Network Each major Vexii settlements contained one or more obelisks, which were connected in a network. This would allow the Dreamers, masters of psychic magic, to communicate over long distances, convey messages for people, and increase the range of their powers massively. The Mind Network was often used by civilians, who would use the services of the dreamer to contact their friends and family from far away. Religion The Vexii were mostly not particularly religious, especially not in the main empire itself. However, they were spiritual, and faithful to certain diety-like beings. They did not spend much time worshipping these creatures though. The Vexii existed in the time of the Astral Dragon, and paid it great respect. They were heartbroken at its death. They did not, however, worship it, merely acknowledged everything it had done for humanity. It is a similar case with the Eternity Constructs, beings created by the Astral Dragon. They did have a certain reverence for their death deity, a being known as Onno. They beseeched Onno to deliver souls to the afterlife, and made sure to be respectful to this entity, but did not worship it as such. Vexii Prodigies The Vexii believed that they were blessed by the Astral Dragon, and that once every lifetime a great individual with supreme aptitude for magic would be born. These "prodigies" were sought out, trained, and placed in positions of power. These were not sorcerers, because they were not born with the magic and did not suffer the uncontrollable backlashes of sorcery. Instead, it is believed that they had absorbed the psychic magic that suffused Vexii settlements, in the very stone. The most notable of these prodigies was Tezzet, who was Elder of Dreams during the final few years of Vexii civilisation. Shrouded Races The Vexii coexisted alongside some other strange humanoid races on the Shrouded Continent. The Illumii, or "The Radiant", were a race of winged humanoids with an aptitude for arcane magic. The Gruushii, or "Mountain Ogres", were a race of large, barbaric humanoids who lived in the mountains of the continent.